Current designs for electrically-propelled motor cars use batteries of storage cells based on the nickel-iron couple. This couple provides cells that deliver 1.2 volts each, and such cells are grouped in blocks of five to constitute alkaline battery units that deliver 6 volts. Such units are generally in the form of a monobloc casing having five cell compartments separated by four inter-cell partition walls, with four electrical connections connecting the five cells in series. In order to reduce the overall height of the battey units, it is desireable to provide these connections below the level of the battery electrolyte, which means that the connections must pass through the partitions in a sealed manner.
Lead storage batteries are known in which electrical connections are made by means of sealed feed-throughs passing through partition walls below the level of the electrolyte. Each feed-through is made by welding together two current collectors from a pair of adjacent cells via an orifice in the partition wall separating the cells. all the other parts of the feed-through are also made of lead, so the welding operation is performed at a relatively low temperature.
In alkaline storage batteries, it is essential to use harder metals (eg. nickel steel) for which conventional welding techniques require the use of relatively high temperatures that burn and damage the partition wall material.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention enable this drawback to be avoided by providing a feed-through which does not require welding.
Such embodiments also have other advantages such as an appreciable saving in weight, low manufacturing cost, and simple design, all of which contribute to making electrically-propelled vehicles more accessible to the general public.